A man who bit off part of his girlfriend's face has been convicted of felony assault.
Gareth Whyte, 27, of New Rochelle, New York, faces up to 25 years in prison when he is sentenced by state Supreme Court Justice Lester Adler on March 1. A Westchester County jury convicted Whyte on Thursday.
The defence contended there was insufficient proof that Dorothy Pritchett had been seriously injured or disfigured in the May 8, 2005, attack.
"I'll agree the defendant is not guilty when he can put this back," said Assistant District Attorney Heide Mason, holding up a jar containing Pritchett's flesh.
She urged the jury not to give Whyte a break simply because Pritchett was fortunate to have a talented plastic surgeon.
The attack occurred near the home where Pritchett had lived with Whyte and her four children.
Pritchett testified that Whyte had bitten her once before, on the arm, after he complained that her outfit was too sexy for a party she was attending without him.
During this incident, Whyte pulled her close and bit the left side of her face. Prosecutors say the bite cut through skin, nerves, fat and muscle and left a gaping hole just below Pritchett's eye.